


enough trouble for a lifetime

by basha



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Literal Sleeping Together, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:35:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basha/pseuds/basha
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, the Golden Trio heads to the Gryffindor common room to get some sleep.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Comments: 8
Kudos: 241





	enough trouble for a lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published fic! Basically this is what has always been my personal head canon for what happened right after the BoH.

The Fat Lady wasn’t in her portrait. Harry stopped dumbly in front of it, staring at the vast expanse of canvas separating him from the sleep he desperately required. Behind him, he heard Hermione mutter a spell. The portrait swung open. 

“Right,” Ron said wearily. “Where was that trick all these years when I’ve been trying to remember passwords like Codswallop and Jinglefoot?” Harry braced himself for Hermione’s snappy retort, but all he heard was Hermione’s faint giggle. He stared blankly ahead. The Gryffindor common room, absolutely covered in gold and crimson, looked like something out of a dream. He could already smell the faint scent of cinnamon and smoke that always seemed to linger in there. Ron nudged his side, and he jumped. 

“Just us, mate,” Ron said quietly. “What are we waiting for?” Harry shook his head, as if to clear it.

“Sorry,” he said. “Doesn’t feel real.” He entered the common room on shaky legs. He could feel Ron and Hermione right behind him. Inside, he could see that even Gryffindor House hadn’t been immune to the Carrow’s reign: there were posters with rules and warnings all over the walls, and in the very center of the board was one of his own Wanted posters. “Think I’m going to get one of those and frame it,” he said, gesturing towards it vaguely. “I’ll hang it in the front hall of Grimmauld Place.”

“Is that the plan?” Hermione asked. “For where we go next?” Harry shrugged. It occurred to him that they didn’t quite have to be a “we” anymore; there was nothing stopping Ron and Hermione from going off to the Burrow or Australia or anywhere they liked without him. Nothing except that he wouldn’t let them, he couldn’t let them; he’d follow them to the ends of the earth and probably wouldn’t even complain about it as long as he was with them. 

“I’m open to discussion,” he replied, stifling a yawn. They moved towards the stairs. He almost expected Hermione to turn away and go up the girls’ stairs, with the half wave and easy “goodnight” she used to send them off with for years. Instead, she walked with them up the boys’ stairs into their dormitory. Even this room looked different. Only Seamus’ bed looked even slightly slept in. There was a fine layer of dust over most of the beds and the furniture. The window was half open, and letting in cold air. Harry moved to close it. Hermione stood in the middle of the room, looking uneasy. 

“What’s wrong?” Ron asked, hovering near her, as if not sure if he was allowed to touch. Hermione raised her wand in a remarkably familiar gesture. 

“Do you guys mind if I…” she trailed off. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep unless I put up a few protection charms. Nothing major, I just…” she shuddered. 

“Go for it,” Harry said. He crossed to the wardrobe and pulled it open, relieved to find a few pairs of crimson and gold striped pajamas. They might have belonged to one of the other boys, but he felt that they wouldn’t begrudge him. He pulled out one pair for himself, and tossed Ron two others. “I’ll just…” he gestured briefly towards the door. “I want to wash my face. You lot put up the charms and...whatever.” 

He walked out towards the bathroom before either of them responded. In the bathroom, he changed into the pajamas, throwing his filthy clothes to the ground and casting a quick charm on them to make them disappear, hopefully to the laundry room in Grimmauld place, though he’s so drained he wouldn’t be surprised if they appeared on the floor of the Great Hall downstairs or the middle of the ocean or if they never appeared again. He splashed water on his face without looking in the mirror. 

His hands shook, and he looked at them blankly. His heart and head roared with a mixture of emotions; he was sure relief was in there somewhere, but he couldn’t feel it yet. He made a mental note in his head to think about that tomorrow, then thought of all of the things he really should deal with tomorrow, all of the people to talk to and lives to mourn and plans to make. Then scrapped the list and decided to leave it to Hermione. 

Thinking of Hermione made him think of Ron, of her and Ron, of Hermione and Ron kissing over a pile of baslick fangs and maybe again right now and probably again for weeks and months and years to come. He wondered if they’d sleep in the same bed tonight. He wondered why the thought bothered him so much. 

“Harry?” Hermione was calling. “Are you alright?” He patted his face quickly with a towel and returned to the dormitory to find Hermione in the doorway. He followed her back inside. As soon as he was through the door, Hermione returned to spell casting. Seconds later, Harry felt the familiar buzz of the protective charms. 

“I’m grand,” he said. He flashed a small but genuine smile at her before turning to Ron, just in time to see the tail of a silver Jack Russel terrier disappear into the air. 

“I just wanted to tell my Mum and Dad and everyone where we are,” Ron explained. “I didn’t want any of them to freak out.” Harry thinks of the Weasleys huddled downstairs, worrying where they’ve gone, and his chest pangs. He considers saying 'thanks' to Ron, but he’s not sure his best mate will take it the way he means it. He considers saying 'you’re the most loyal, decent person I know, and I know your family is just as thankful as I am to have you looking out for us', but he’s not sure either of them could deal with that. Instead he just nods.

A moment before, he had been considering a sandwich, now he doesn’t think he could eat if he tried. His eyelids felt heavy. 

“Let’s go to bed,” he said. He moved slowly, feeling almost Imperiused, and sunk down into the four-poster. He laid his head down on the pillow, which smelled like home. Like safety. 

“Mate,” Ron said. “That’s my bed.” Harry opened his eyes again, slowly, trying to will himself to care. Above him, Ron stands in his pajamas, looking half-amused, half-worried.

“Oh,” Harry said. “Sorry.” He tried to get up, but his body didn’t seem to want to move. “You’re gonna have to give me a hand here.” He reached up, and Ron grabbed his hand, but then just stood there, holding it. Hermione appeared behind Ron, now also in her pajamas. 

“You know,” she said, sounding pensive. “A few months ago I was reading these books I had packed about people who have survived terrible things, in preparation, and it said that physical contact and emotional support, especially during the night, were great preventative measures towards flashbacks and…”

“Right then,” Ron said. “We’ll all sleep in my bed.” The word “all” set off something in Harry’s brain, and he tried to sit up again.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “You can move me, or you two can both sleep in my bed, or--”

“Don’t be daft,” Ron replied. “We’re not leaving you alone.” Harry squeezed his eyes shut against the threatening tears, and he felt more than saw Ron climb over him and settle near the wall, followed by Hermione slipping under the covers on his other side. 

“I love you guys,” Harry said, eyes still shut, feeling terrified in a new and exciting way.

“Yeah, dumbass,” Ron said. “We love you too.” Hermione murmured her agreement. 

Harry tried to think if they had ever actually said those words to each other before. He wondered if they should be having longer, deeper discussions now, about life and friendship and the future. But there was time for that tomorrow, and for days that stretched before him endlessly. He stopped fighting it, and surrendered to the warm embrace of sleep, cradled in the warm embrace of the two people he loved most in the whole world.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at <https://sunshine394.tumblr.com/>!


End file.
